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While the bitter machinists' strike at Northwest Airlines enters its third week, over 18,000 machinists at aerospace giant Boeing began a strike of their own Friday morning. Members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers voted overwhelmingly to strike after contract negotiations stalled over pensions, health care, and job security. IAM Spokeswoman Connie Kelliher says the strike is about more than just benefits and wages:

[Kelliher] "The strike is not about economics, but more about a corporate strategy to break the workers who built this company. There's absolutely no reason for any takeaways in this round of bargaining, and the contract they offered was filled with them. The economic and benefit package is less than what was offered in 2002, even though Boeing profits have tripled in the last three years."

Kelliher says the strike will reach much further than picket lines at Boeing's plants in Washington, Oregon and Kansas.

[Kelliher] "The fight really extends beyond the gates at Boeing. It's what working families across America are fighting. Right now Boeing needs to do the right thing and come back to the bagaining table ready to address our issues."